Aircraft



Dec. 20, 1927. 1,653,056 v J; E.- M cuLLocH AIRCRAFT I Filed Nov. 1'7,- 1926' s Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 20, 1927.

J. E. M CULLOCH AIRCRAFT 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 gwuantoc:

Patented Dec. 20, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

units a. IcGULLOCH, or msmeron, mum. menu-r. I

- Application filed November 17,1926. Serial Em l-$8,871.

The. present invention relates to propeldevices for airplanes and other airships,

aims to provide rotary wings of novel and improved construction that will be cf- 6 ficient and practical for obtaining ascending,

descen g, propulsion, braking and steering forces in the air.

Another object. of the invention is the provision of rotary wings for airships com- 1G- prising a novel construction and assembly of t e component elements to enhance the utility and efliciency of the airship.

A further object is to incorporate the rotary wings in an airplane or other airship 15 and to provide means for controlling the Wings in order that the wings may not only facilitate ascent, descent, flight and steering of the airship, but may also be utilized as airplanes or wings, when positioned at an 2 a le of incidence to the line of flight, in or er to assist in sustaining the airship in the air.

A still further object is to utilize the rotary wings for braking action in order to 2 retard the airship, to avoid collisions while in flight or when making a landing.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes can be made within- -:the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

e invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein 'gure 1 is a side elevation of an airplane embodying'the improvements,

Fig. 2 is a plan'view thereof. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view taken on the hue 3-3 of Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a detail view taken on the line 44 of 'Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 5 is adiagrammatical plan view illustrating a modification in the use of the wings on an airplane.

- Fig. 7 is a plan view of another modification.

. Fig. 8 is a section on the line 88 of Fig. 7. v

The rotary wing may consist in any number ofunits, and the units of each set or group are mounted on a shaft 3vwhich is suitably supported by the frame of the airplane or other airship. The shaft 3 will usually be in a horizontal position transversely of the airship, although in some instances said shaft maybe located in other positions according to the uses to which the device maybe ut, The shaft 3 has pairs of reversely o lique journal portions 5, one pair for each rotary Wing unit, and said shaft has shoulders 6 adjacent to said portions 5 perpendicular therewith. Bars 7 are mounted for rotation on the journal portions 5 between the shoulders 6, and said bars are arranged in pairs and have the arms 9 extending in diametrically opposite directions from the shaft. The arms 9 of each bar are arranged at an obtuse angle with one another, in order that said arms are moved together and apart at the opposite sidesof the shaft 3, as seen in Figs. 2 and 4. Toggle links 10 having hinge joints 11 are hingedly connected, as at 12, to the ends of the arms 9 and provide withsaid arms foldable frames in which the flexible webs 13 are secured. .Said webs are of fabric, leather or other suitable pliant ma teri-al, and the webs are secured to the arms and links 10 in any suitable manner.

In order to rotate the rotary wing units of each set or group,,the arms 9 are provided adjacent to the shaft 3 with apertures 14 through which longitudinal rods 15 extend. As shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the wing units are all arranged in the same plane. The rods 15 are parallel with the shaft 3- and the terminals thereof are secured to wheels 16 mounted for rotation on the shaft.

As shown in Figs. 14 there are two sets or groups of wing units on a. common shaft 3, and the inner wheels 16 are sprocket wheels for the engagement of endless sprocket chains 17 for delivering power to the rotary wings, thereby causing the arms 9 to rotate with the rods 15.

The shaft 3 may be turned in order to change the positions around the axis of the shaft 3 where the arms 9 are separated thev maximum amount, and for this purpose a hand lever 18 is secured to the shaft 3.

In the embodiment of the invention as we shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inausive, the rotaryshaft are journaled in wings are applied to an airplane. The shaft 3 extends transversely across the fuselage or bod 20.and has a set of wing units ateach side of said fusela e, corres onding with the up or win of a' iplane. e-airplane has t e usu propeller 21 at its forward end, and has the lower wings or planes 22 above which the rotary wings are mounted, and the fuselage has the'usual rudders 23 at its rear end. A bearing 24 carriedby the fuselage 20 supports the intermediatg. b

of'the shaft 3, and the extremities of sea bearings 25'connected by struts 26 with the wings 22, in order to provide a rigid construction.

In order to drive the rotary wings the rocket chains 17 extend around sprocket wheels '27 on a transverse shaft 28 mounted mesh with a tionto the shaft 3, and a in the fuselage 20 below bevel gear 29 is feathered on the shaft bevel gear 30 on the drive shaft 31 which is driven by the engine (not shown), or any suitable clutch connection may be employed for making and braking the connection between the drive shaft and rotary wings. Manually controlled means is provided for positioning the wings at desired angles relatively to the. longitudinal line of the fuselage 20. For this purpose a hand lever 32 is fulcrumed, as at 33, to a disk or member the shaft 3 adjathrough the member 34 to be projected into and retracted from an aperture or socket 36 lever 32 around the axis 0 out of engagement with the gear 30. The rod 41 sliding in the swivel member 42 will permit the lever 32 to be swung upwardly and downwardly and in an the shaft 3 said lever may be swung longitudinally of the shaft 3.

The lever 18 has rack or segment in different positions to which it is turne by the lever 18, and the dog 44 is connected .a rod or link 46 with a hand grip 47 pivoted to the lever 18 adjacent to the handle thereof, so that when the lever 18 is grasped the dog 44 is retracted to permit said lever to be swung. The lever 18, similar to the lever 32, extends rearwardly to be conveniently operated by the pilot.

In operation, the rotary wings may be 0 erated and controlled for different conditions that arise. The rotary. wings will facilitate the rising of the airplane or other airship from the ground, either vertically or for holding the shaft 3 with a gliding start. This is accompllshed in said wheel 16 by swinging the lever 32- longitudinally of the shaft 3, and it will noted that the lever 32 may also be turned be where they move upwar around the axis of the shaft 3 with the mem ber 34. As shown, the lever 32 extends rearwardly for convenient control by the pilot,

and the forward end of the lever carries a do 37 to engage a rack or segment 38 for he ding the lever 32 in different angular sitions around e dog 37 is connected by a rod or link 39 with a hand grip 40 pivoted to the lever 32 adjacent to the handle'thereof, in order retracted from the segment 38, to ermit the lever to, be swung upwardly and ownwardly. The segment 38 is of arcuate cross-sec: rmit the lever 32 to swi longiof the shaft 3 for sliding t e latch tudinally The lever 32 also controls the bevel bolt 35.

gear 29 to bring it into and out of mesh with the lever 32 1s s the bevel gear 30. Thus, a rod 41 secured to said lever 32 and curved around the axis of the shaft 3 passes slidably through a swivel member 42 swivelled within a member 43 embracing the bevel gear 29. Thus, when longitudinally of the shaft 3 the rod 41 w1ll slide the member 43 longitudinally to shift the gear 29 into or that. .when the lever is grasped, the dog 37 is they move by swinging the lever 32' so as to withdraw the latch bolt 35 from' the aperture 36 and to connect the gear 29 with the drive shaft 31 so that the rotary wings are actuated. The lever 18 is then adjusted so as to turn the shaft 3 to a positlon for causing the arms 9 to swing apart when in front of the shaft 3 and moving rotated counter-clockwise as seen in Figs. 1 and 3. The webs 13 are thus opened as downwardly in front of the shaft 3, so that said webs beat downwardly against the air, and they arms 9 are swung together dly in rear of the shaft 3, thereby folding thewebs in order to offer the least amount of resistance when moving also folded together with the arms 9 when the arms are swung' together, and said links are swung apart with the arms 9 so as to open out orunfold the outer portions of the webs 13. This action of the rotary wings will enable the airship to rise vertically, and this operation" may also be taken advantage of .to facilitate rising off the ground when takin off in an airplane in the usual manner. uch action of the rotary wings may also be employed for sustainin g other airship 1n the air and by slowing down the be permitted to settle the airplane or' against" gravity, wingsthe airship may .down to theground without the necessity of gliding toIthe earth. By turning -the shaft 3 so that the wings open up below the shaft 3' said wings will exert a ropulsion' force to move the airship forward l and by turning the shaft 3 so that the wings open up above the shaft 3, the wings will exert a braking action to retardor stop the airship. It is thus possible, by turning the shaft 3, to cause the webs 13 to be opened up or unfolddownwardly, the wings being position of said.

upwardly. The-toggle links 10 are ed at different points around the axis of said shaft, for exerting the force in different directions. It is also possible to control the rotary wings in order to facilitate Steering the airship.

The rotary wings are also capable of acting as airplane wings or planes, for example,

- in the construction shown to supplement the i to the line of flight, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3,

and the dog 37 engaging the segment 38 will hold the arms 9 in the position to which they have been turned. The lever 18 is adjusted so that the forward webs 13 are open and they will provide wings or planes to.

assist in sustaining the airship in flight; The angle of the arms 9 may be changed to increase or decrease the angle of incidence, and the arms may even be turned-toward a vertical position so as to act as a brake for retarding the airship to avoid collision when in flight or when making a landing.

The rotary wings may thus be used on both heavierand lighter-than-air airships for obtaining ascending, propulsion, descending and retarding or braking forces, andmay be used on lighter-than-air airships for obtaining a backing action. The rotary wings are also convertible into stationary planes or wings to serve as airplane wings or planes.

The rotary wing construction is simple and will operate smoothly and with a least amount of resistance and vibration, and suitable anti-frictional bearings may be used between the shaft 3 and bars 7. I

Fig. 6 illustrates longitudinally spaced transverse series or sets of rotary wings distributed along the length of the fuselage or body of the airplane in order to obtaingreater lifting force and to distribute the force lengthwise of the airship, it being noted that the units are in staggered relation so that the arms 9 are adapted to overlap and pass one another, in a compact arrangement.

Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate four units of a rotary wing device, with the arms 9 arranged at right angles to one another, as seen in Fig. 8. This construction is especially intended for use in li hter-than-alr' airships, and the arms 9 may e arranged at difierent angles relatively to one another, and a corresponding number of rods 15 are employed.

- The shaft 3 is shown as mounted in a frame 4, and the wheels 16 are both sprocket for locking wheels, and the wheels 18 are secured on the shaft 3 and'have sprocket chains 19 thereon for changing the angular position of the shaft 3. 9

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new 1. A rotary airship wing comprising a shaft having reversely-oblique journal portions, members mounted for rotation on said portions and having arms to be moved together and apart when said members rotate around said portions, hingedly connected links hingedly connected to the ends of said arms, and webs connected to said arms and links.

2. A rotary airship wing comprising members having -arms, means mounting said members for rotation to-move the arms to-' gether and apart during the rotation of said members, hin dly connected links hingedly connected to t e ends of said arms, and webs connected to said arms and links.

3. A rotary airship wing comprising a shaft, members mounted for rotation on said shaft and having arms movable together and apart, webs carried by said arms to be folded and unfolded therewith, and driving means rotatable on said shaft having longitudinal rods engaging said arms to rotate said members with said rods.

4. A rotary airship wing comprising a shafthaving reversely-oblique journal portions, members rotatable on said ortions and having arms to be moved toget er and apart, webs connected to said arms to be folded and unfolded therewith, wheels rotatable on said shaft, and longitudinal rods connected With said Wheels, said arms havingdapertures through which said rods exten 5. In an aircraft, members rotatable around a transverse axis and adapted to be folded and unfolded at opposite sides of said axis, means for rotating said members, and means for lockin said members against rotation and for c anging the angle'of the unfolded portions thereof.

6. In an aircraft, a transverse shaft, members rotatable around said shaft, said members and shaft havin cooperable portions for folding and unfol ing said members at opposite sides of the shaft, means for rotating said members around said shaft, means for turning said shaft, and means said members to said shaft and for changing the an 1e of said shaft.

7. In an aircra members rotatable around a transverse axis and adapted to be unfolded and folded at. opposite sides of said axis, meahs for rotating said members, and means for locking said members ainst rotation with the unfolded portions t ereof arranged at an angle of incidence to the line bers rotatable around said shaft, said members and shaft having eooperable portions for folding and unfoldin said members at opposite sides of said s aft, means for 5 turning said shaft to controlthe positions where said members fold and unfold, means for rotating said members on said shaft, and

arranged at the angle of incidence to the 19' line of flight.

In testimony. whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

JAMES E. MCCULLOCH. 

